Manicure Your Career: The Honeymoon Phase

The first 90 days of your new job are basically the “honeymoon” phase. You are getting to know the company, the role, the people, and building your personal brand. To help keep yourself on track, you can put your own 30, 60, 90 day plan into place.

This plan is basically a pulse check at these three milestones as you begin your new career. How’s it going so far? Are you coming up to speed? Are you really struggling with a certain topic? Your new company may do one of these for you, but either way it is good to have these checks for yourself. These self-reflections can also help you raise things to your line manager such as additional training or needing further resources. This will show you’re proactive, self-aware and truly working to come up to speed. This will also help you build a meaningful and trusting relationship with your boss. This level of comfort will allow more open communication and direct feedback which will ultimately make you more successful in the long run.

While being self-aware and having a positive connection with your boss are important, it is also important to stand out and display your strengths. This doesn’t mean talking just to talk, but rather finding where you add value and thoughtfully contributing in those situations. Don’t be afraid to share your expertise from past experiences, recommendations for a change in process, or deep diving into why things are done a certain way. Press these areas constructively and show you can be a resource, even as a new employee. Being a resource will help you make connections within your new company and ultimately allow you build more trusting relationships and your own personal brand. These relationships will assist you in learning how it all works as well as how your role affects everyone else’s and how you all work together. Knowing all of these different facets will help you to become indispensable at work.

The learning curve isn’t easy for anyone. No matter what, believe in yourself and continuously seek to improve.